Label-affixing apparatus



Apr. 24, 1923.

M. B. FERGUSON ET AL lLABEL AFFIXING APPARATUS Filed March 7', 1919 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

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I MILFORD B. FERGUSON AND EDWARD HAAS, 015'` BROOKLYN, NEW YOK.

LABEL-AFFIXING APPARATUS.

` application mea Maren 7, 191e. serial Nn. 281,146.

To all whom t may concernj Be it known that we, MILFonD B. FERGU- soN and EDWARD HAAS, citizens of the United States, and residents of the borough of Brookl n, county f.l.Ki-ngs, and State of New Ybbrk, have invented an Improvement in Label-Afiixing Apparatus, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to wrapping machinery, and with regard to its more specific features to means for applying wrappers or labels to articles or packages.

One of the objects is to provide a machine of the above type, Which shall be simple in construction and reliable in action.

Another object is to provide a machine of thetype set forth, which shall neatly, expeditiously and effectively perform its function.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in art pointed out hereinafter.

Y he invention accordingly consists in theA features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of this invention,

, Fig. 1, is a diagrammatic side View of our machine. e

Fig. 2, is a diagrammatic detail view in side elevation showing one step of the operation.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of he detail shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. a, is a detail view showing the machine at another stage of its operation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the diiierent views of the drawings.

This invention is particularly concerned with the application of labels to encircle packages. but is also useful for the application of binders or wrappers of paper or the like around either unwrapped articles, or previously wrapped packages, regardless of whether said binders or outer Wrappers bear printed matter, or not.

Referring now to the drawings, we have shown a carrier 1. generally circular in contour, intermittently rotatable about a central axis or shaft 2. The, means for causing intermittent rotation of said carrier, is not part of our invention. By way of illustration, we have shown one Way of bringing about this intermittent action, which may comprise a driving shaft 3, connected to shaft 2 by a sprocket chain 4, the shaft 3 driving the chain by means of a sprocket wheel 5 bearing a single tooth 5. Itis apparent that rotation is imparted to shaft 2 by chain 4 when tooth 5 is in engagement with the chain, and no such movement is imparted While said tooth is located at the upper half of member 3. The'sprocket member 5 is preferably of such diameter, and so timed that the sets of jaws 6, which are mounted on the carrier 1 and equidistantly spaced around its periphery as will appear more .fully below, are moved during one active step of said sprocket member from the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings through a distance equal to that between adjacent jaws, each jaw being thus moved to the position previously occupied by the one immediately preceding it.

Referring to these sets of aws in greaterY detail, we have shown eight of them by way of example, mounted, as above noted at equal intervals about the periphery of the carrier 1. These jaws are preferably identical in construction, each of them preferably comprising a jawV element 7, rigidly mounted npon the carrier 1 in any desired manner notY shown, and a yieldingly held jaw element 8 cooperating with element 7.

Element 8 preferably comprises a clamping portion 8", and a base portion 82 pivoted substantially centrally to the carrier as shown at 9. The said base portion 82 has a face 10 substantially parallel to clamping portion 8 and to one side of the pivot; and a second face 11, at an angle, when eight jaws are used, of i5 degrees to said clamping portion, anden the other side of thepivot. The face 10 of one jaw 8 is thus parallel to face 11 of the following iaw 8. A coil spring 12 is interposed between these parallel portions.

lt is thus seen. that each jaw element 8 -is under the control of two coil springs 12. both ot which tend to heldv jar.' element 8 close to element 7 to thereby enable the jaws to iirmly, yet yieldably. grip articles or ackages. The adjoining sides of jaw memhers 7 and 8 are preferably cut away, as shown at 13, for ready gripping of cylindrical packages or articles there between. Of course, articles of other shapes might be bound or labeled by our machine and for such purpose, the cut away portions 13 would preferably have different shapes, but it isto be understood that we prefer to employ our machine for the specific purpose set forth.

`We prefer to feed into the jaws successively, cylindrical articles as shown at 14, each having a label orbinder 15 thereabout, with its ends projecting unequally therefrom as shown at 16 and 17.

As our invention is not concerned with the specific manner in which our package with the label projecting therefrom is fed to the machine, one method is simply suggested in the drawings by way of example. A platform 18 in alignment with the lower element of one of the jaws as indicated at 19, has mounted thereon a reciprocable plunger 20, adapted to contact with one of the cylindrical articles and at the proper time to move forwardly, pushing said article between the jaw elements 7 and 8, with the wrapper 15 encircling substantially the more advanced half of said package. By reason of the curved contour of the article the wrapper is thus firmly pressed into engagement with said half of said package when disposed be tween the jaws, the free ends 16 and 17 projecting from the package.

The label securing apparatus preferably acts upon the package when in the vertical position shown at 6. This apparatus will now be described:

Pivoted preferably upon a rod 21 mounted on the frame ofthe machine, there is a bell crank lever having an arm 22 projecting downwardly and preferably carrying a paste roll 23 journaled thereto as at 40. The other arm 24 of the bell crank,'is connected by a cam rod 25, to be actuated therethrough bv cam 26, the said cam rod having mounted thereon a cam roller 27 in engagement with the cam. The cam rod is preferably provided with a forked end 28, straddling the shaft 29, about which the said cam rotates, to prevent any substantial 'lateral deflection of said rod.

Pivoted about rod 21 and angularly displaced from arm 22, there is an arm 30 having a reversed extension arm 1 11, yieldingly pivoted thereto as shown at 32. The arm 41 has a tucking4 blade 31 rigidly connected to its outer end and projecting therebeyond. and said arm is further preferably provided with a shoulder 33 near its outer end for a purpose which will appear more fully below. The arm 41 being thus pivoted at 32 to the arm 3() may partake of a slight movement about its pivot 32 to automatically adjust the blade 31 with respect to the article or package, as will more clearly be hereinafter set forth.

A spring 34 connects arms 22 and 30, and a set screw 35mounted on arm 30 abuts surface 36 on arm 22, thereby limiting the, approach of said two arms. The tucking blade element 31 is preferably arcuate in form with its centre at the rod 21, which rod is so disposed that the movement of said tucking blade about said shaft, shall cause it to come substantially into tangential relation to the package or article when in the jaw f elements at 6. The slight curvature' or the arcuate .form given the tucking blade 31 permits the blade 31 to effectively clear the paste-applying roller 23 during the relative movements that take place therebetween, it being noted that the effective movements of both the blade 31 and the paste-applying roller 23 preferably take place about the common center or pivot provided by the rod 21.A

Concentric with the carrier member, we provide a stationary arcuate wal1'37, of a radius substantially equal to the distance of the outermost surface of the article or pack age from the centre of the carrier. The wall 37 is preferably yieldingly mounted with respect to the carrier 1 so as to urge the wall member 37 substantially toward the center of the carrier 1. Thus, referring to Fig. 1. there is rigidly secured to the wall 37 a pin 37a slidabl engaging a member 37b suitably rigidly held with respect to the carrier 1. A spring 37c is interposed between the wall 37 and the rigid member 37b and tends to urge the wall 37 substantially radially inwardly with respect to the carrier 1.

Having thus described our construction, he operation proceeds substantially as folows:

The machine being set into operation by any source of power, not shown, the carrier member is driven intermittently in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1, by the rotation of sprocket wheel 3. At any particular pause, the carrier member will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, when a package or article 15, with a wrapper or label thereabout havlng its free ends projecting therefrom. is inserted between the jaws then in alignment. with platform 18. This is preferably done automatically by plunger 20 and coacting apparatus not shown, or by any other desired means.

When the carrier resumes rotation` the next jaw member is brought into alignment with platform 18 and a package or article is inserted therein with a wrapper partially encircling it. In this mannerywe prefer to feed a package and label to the carrier during every stop thereof.

A package or article with wrapper ends projecting. is acted upon in the following 'manner preferably when extending vertically upward as at 6':

The carrier having come to a pause, cam 26, which is timed for this purpose, causes cam rod 25 to be loweredby reason of cam roller 27, dropping to a more depressed part of the cam surface. Bell crank lever arm 24 is thus pulled downwardly and lever arm 22` to the right, thus carrying the paste roller 23 into proximity to the-end of arcuate wall 37 and into engagement with the projecting direction because of the connection by spring 34, said tucking blade 31 coming into engagement with end 16 of the label, and drawing it about the package. Bearing in mind that the arm 41 carrying the tucking blade 31 is yieldingly pivoted at 32 to the operating arm 30, the tucking blade 31 is thus permittedto partake of a lrelatively slight movement about the pivot 32 to permit its tucking end to engage the free wrapper end 16 and follow the contour of the package to more effectively draw the wrapper or label end 16 about the package. At this time, before the tucking blade has completed its function, enlargement 33 abuts the stationary article as shown at 39, whereby further movement Yof the tucking blade is prevented. As soon as the carrier 1 resumes rotation, however, the spring 34, being still under expansion, will contract to cause the tucking blade 31 to follow the movement of the article, thus firmly holding thel end 16 of the label in engagement with the article or package. The pivotal mounting of the tucking blade 31 through the arm 41 during this continued follow-up movement permits the latter to take place with positive and reliable result. Throughout this time, the paste roll remains in stationary position, ap-

plying paste to the end 17. As the carrier 1 continues movement, theA article moves under the relatively stationary arcuate wall 37, which relative movement then causes the free end 17 to be wrapped about the article. As soon as the paste carrying end 17. comes into engagementwith the extremity of end 16. as in Fig. 4 cam 26 operates to raise cam rod 25. thus withdrawing the tucking blade 31 and the paste roll 23 by an operation the reverse of that described in connection with -the application of these elements to the packages.

The continued movement of the carrier causes the article 15 to move tangentially under the wall 37, thus firmly and tautlv applying the free paste carrying end 17 over end 16, and thus completing the wrapping operation. The wall member 37, it will be noted, provides a substantially continuos surface with which the overlapping label end 17 engages during therelative movement that takes place therebetween, thus affording a relatively great frictional action to insure the positive drawing of the overlapped end 17 about the article. Moreover, the spring 37 c, in yieldingly urging the wall 37 inwardly toward the carrier 1, permitsithe wall 37 to automatically adjust itself with respect to the carrier and hence with respect to the article or articles acted upon to compensate for variations or differences between articles successively operated upon. Moreover, the spring insures the positive frictional action above described to take place throughout such variations or differences.

When the wrapped article reaches the next stop, another operation or operations may be performed thereon, but as such operations are no part of our present invention, they are neither shown nor described.

The paste roller 23 is formed of suitable material and is practically at the bottom of the paste can 42. It is intermittently rotated at each oscillation of the arm 22 by means of av ratchet 43 co-acting with a swinging rack 44. There is thus continuously presented a fresh paste surface on the roll which sweeps over the end 17 of the label with which it comes in contact.

It is understood that when the article is completely wrapped, it may be withdrawn manually from the machine, or some automatic delivery mechanism may be employed. Such mechanism, however, being no part of our present invention, it is alsol neither shown nor described.

It will thus be seen that' there is herein 4described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and`not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention. what we claim as new and desire to secure b v Letters Patent is 1. ln a wrapping machine or the like, in combination. a work carrier having a pluralitv of supports. each adapted to hold an article to be wrapped and awrapper therefor. means for causing said carrier to move intermittently and to carry therewith an article and its wrapper, means operative at each stoppage ot' said carrier to tuck a Wrapper about its associated article and means operative at said stoppage for applyingr paste to said Wrapper.

2. In a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable Work carrier having a plurality of package holding supports, meansyfor moving said carrier, means for placing a package and a wrapper upon said supports disposed in proximity to said carrier and at one point in the path thereof, means including a paste applying device and wrapper tucking devices disposed in proximity to said carrier and at another' point in the path thereof and means for causing said package and Wrapper placing means to operate on each support and said paste applying device and said tucking devices to operate on each Wrapper as said respective parts are move-d into alignment with said means and said devices by said carrier.

3. ln a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a rtatable work carrier, an arcuate tue-king blade pivoted at substantially the center of its arc but externally of said rotatable Work carrier, and adapted to assume a position substantially tangential to said carrier, means for periodically arresting said carrier with an article and partially applied Wrapper therefor at a predetermined point in space, and yielding means for thereupon moving said tucking blade about its pivot, to fold a Wrapper end projecting beyond said arti-cle, about the same.

4l. ln a Wrapping machine or t-he like, in combination, a work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having a freely projecting wrapper edge, a movable paste reservoir, a roller in operative relation to said reservoir and bodily movable therewith to apply paste to said free edge and means for folding said edge against said package to be pasted in place.

5. ln a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable work carrier, means to cause it to stopI periodically with a package thereon and a free Wrapper edge projecting from said package at a predetermined positionin space, a paste reservoir, a paste roll, means for bodily moving said paste roll with said paste reservoir at each pause against said free edge, and means for folding said edge against said package to be pasted in place.

6. ln wrapping machine or the like, in combination. a movable work carrier, means to cause it to stop periodically with a package thereon` and a free Wrapper edge projecting therefrom at predetermined point in space, a platform back of said free edge, a paste roll, and means for causing said peste roll to more bodilyv to press said free .edgeagainst said plat ym, thereby applyl paste to said. edge. and means thereupon causing relative movement between said platform and said package in order to fold said edge against said package to be pasted in place. y

7. ln a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, 'a Work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having two freely projecting wrapper ends, a tucking blade for folding one of said ends against said package, a roll for applying paste to the other of said free ends and means for then folding said endagainst said package to paste it upon said first end.

8. In a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a rotatable work carrier, a tucking blade pivoted externally of itself and of said carrier and adapted to assume a position substantially tangential to said carrier, a paste roll, an arm to which said roll is journaled, said arm being pivoted coaxially with said tucking blade,means for periodically arresting said carrier with an article ata predetermined point in space, and with two free wrapper ends projecting therefrom, and means actuated upon each pause for moving both said tucking blade and said paste roll about said pivot, to cause tucking of one said Wrapper end, and application of paste to the other, and means to thereupon fold said latter end over said former.

9. In a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a Work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having a freely projecting Wrapper end, a tucking blade, means actuating said tucking blade to fold said Wrapper end against said package, and means for subsequently actuating said tucking blade to press the extreme end of said wrapper against said package.

l0. ln a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a rotatable work carrier, means to cause it to stop periodically with a package thereon, and with a free wrapper edge projecting therefrom at a, predetermined point in space, a tucking blade actuated substantially at each pause to fold said wrapper end against said package, means positively arresting said blade before' its function is completed, and means for subseguently causing said tucking blade to yieldingly advance in order to tightly press said entire free edge about said package.

l.. ln a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a Work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having tivo freely projecting wrapper ends, a tucking blade and a. paste roll, means actuating said tucking blade to fold one said Wrapper end against said package, ineens actuating said paste roll to apply paste to tbeothcr said end, means to advance said tucking blade to draw the eine edge of said .med tightly again; said` package tuated substantially simu? said means last mentioned to apply said second or pasted end over said first end.

12. In a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having two freely projecting wrapper ends, a paste roll, a tucking blade, means for moving sa-id paste roll against one said wrapper end, a yielding connection between said means an said tucking blade, to urge the latter against the other said end for folding the same about the package, positive means for arresting said tucking blade before it has completed its function, means for removing said positive means, to cause usaid tucking blade to advance to draw the extreme edge of said first end tightly against said package, and meansactuated substantially simultaneously with said means last mentioned to apply said second or pasted end over said first end.

13. In a wrapping machine or the like, incombination, a work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon having two freely projecting wrapper ends, a paste roll, a tucking blade, means for moving said paste roll against one said wrapper end, a yielding connection between said means and said tucking blade, to urge the latter againstl the other said end for folding the same about the package, positive means on said carrier for arresting said tucking, blade before it has completed its function, means for moving said carrier to permit said tucking blade to complete its function, and stop means simultaneosly cooperating with said carrier toddraw said pasted end over said tucked en 14. In a wrapping machine or the like,l

i in combination, a work carrier means mounted on said work carrieradapted to receive and hold a package thereon having a freely projecting wrapper end, a wall lmember.v means yieldingly mounting said wall member tending to urge it toward said holding means, and means to causerelative movement between the surfaces of said package and said yieldingly mounted wall member, tangentially to each other to press said projectin end into place.

15, n a wrapfpingi'machine or the like, in combination, a rotatable work carrier, means mounted on said work carrier adapted to receive and hold a packagethereon with a free projecting wrapper end, an arcuate wall member substantlally concentric with said carrier and substantially tangential to the path of said package as said carrier rotates yielding means mounting said arcuate wall member and tending to urge it substantially inwardly and toward the axis of said rotatable work carrier, and means for moving said carrier to cause relative movement between the surfaces of said package and said yieldingly mounted wall member to take place, whereby said free wrapper end is drawn into firm engagement with said package.

16. In a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable work carrier adapted to receive a package thereon withl two freely projecting wrapper ends, a tucking blade, means actuating said tucking blade to fold one of said wrapper ends against said package, a connection between said actuating means and said tucking blade adapt-- ed to permit said tucking blade to adjustA itself with respect to said package during movement thereof by said actuating mea-ns, and a stationary wall member substantially tangential to said package adapted upon movement of said carrier to fold and firmly draw the other of Isaid wrapper ends about said first-mentioned wrapper end.

17. In a wrapping machine or the like, in

said carrier is movedand means for moving said carrier to cause relative movement between the surfaces of saidv package and said wall member, whereby said other free wrapper end will be drawn into rm engagement with said package. j

18. In a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a rotatable work carrier, means to cause it to stop periodically with `a package thereon and with two free wrapper edges projecting therefrom, at a predetermined point in space, an arcuate wall having an end adjacent .said point, said wall being substantially. vconcentric with said carrier member, and substantially tangential to the path of said package as said carrier rotates, a tucking blade and a paste roll, means actuating said tuckin blade during one said stop to fold one sai wrapper end against said package, means, simultaneously actuating said paste roll to apply paste to the other said end, whereby when said carrier resumes movement said wall will draw the paste car ing end into engagement with the edge o the tucked end, means for thereupon withdrawing said tucking and a wrapper related to one another so that one end of said wrapper projects substantially away from said carrier, means on said kwork carrier adapted to hold said article and end of said wrapper projects freely from said carrier and disposed in proximity to said carrier and at one point in the path thereof, means associated with each of said supports adapted to cause said holding means to maintain said article and associated wrapper in said predetermined relation, and a wall member disposed in proximity to said carrier and at another point in the path thereof and adapted upon movement of said work carrier to press said projecting wrapper end in place about said article and to be operative after said pressing operation to draw tightly the pressed wrapper ends about a plurality of articles on said work carrier.

21. In a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable work carrier adapted to receive an article thereon having two 'freely projecting wrapper ends, a tucking blade, means for moving said tucking blade against said article to told one of said wrapper ends against the article, means pivotally connecting said tucking blade to said moving means to permit movement'of said tucking blade to take place-in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of movenient given thereto by said moving means,

Lacasse and means for folding the other of said wrapper ends about said First-mentioned wrapper end.

22. ln a Wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable work carrier adapted to receive an article thereonhaving two freely projecting Wrapper ends, a tuckin'g blade, means 'for moving said tucking blade against said article to fold one ot said wrapper ends against said article, mea-ns adapted to permit said tucking blade during its movement against said article to move in a direc-tion transversely to the direction of said movement and substantially in a direction toward or away from said article, a wall member adapted upon movement of said work carrier to fold the other of said free Wrapper ends over said first-mentioned end and to draw it into firm engagement with said article, and means yieldingly mounting said wall member and tending to urge it against said article during the movement thereof relative thereto.

23. In a wrapping machine or the like, in combination, a movable Work carrier adapted to receive an article thereon having two freely projecting wrapper ends, a tucking blade, an arm adapted upon movement thereof to move said tucking blade against said article and to told one of said wrapper ends against said article, means pivotally connecting said tucking blade to said arm adapted upon movement of said blade by said arm to permit said blade to move substantially transversely to the path of move ment given thereto by said arm, and -means for folding the other of said wrapper ends over and about said first-mentioned wrapper end.

ln testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this Aith day of March, 1919.

MlLFORD B. FERGUSON. EDVARD HAAS. 

